Liberation Prison Project

Comment

Comment by Sam Howard on December 27, 2008 at 1:00am

Salutations and greetings to all you good folk and as Nicole mentioned "we are all prisoners" (I think thats what I read, is that the same as what she wrote?) prisoners either going into, being there or on the way out.
Prison (physical) from my perception is simply another experience, harsh it may be, but as with all processes in life it is how I deal with it, as is with the prison I create within myself, it has no walls, it has a few rules and I am the Warden, the chaplain and the inmate (as well as being the cleaner and cook.
My friend and I went for a short holiday of around 60 days, he came out a broken man due to his capacity to handle imposed change, I came out laughing, is that the best you can do to stop me. Haha
I wish you all the best for the new year and I encourage you should you so feel, write to the Liberation Prison Project and make some new friends.
LottsaloveSam

Comment by Sam Howard on December 14, 2008 at 1:18am

Even if someone has only one day left to live, even only one hour left, they still have an incredible opportunity to make the human body-which they have received just this one time-most beneficial. —
Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Comment by Sam Howard on December 13, 2008 at 12:23am

Programs @ LPP

At any given moment Liberation Prison Project's staff and Buddhist volunteers are looking after the spiritual needs of 1,000 people in prison, mainly in the US and Australia, but also in Spain, Mexico and Mongolia.

Prisoners interested in Buddhism can't go to their local Dharma center to listen to teachings, meet other practitioners, buy books and practice materials, take classes or participate in Buddhist ceremonies like Refuge. So, every day, our offices in San Francisco and the Australian Blue Mountains, 230 Buddhist
volunteers worldwide and branches in Spain, Mexico and Mongolia bring the Dharma center to them.

Our main programs, in the US and Australia, are responding to letters and getting Buddhist books and materials to prisoners through mail. We receive 850 letters every month from prisoners in every state across both countries (we also have inmates writing us from Scotland, South Africa, Namibia and Thailand) and we individually respond to every single letter.

Last year in the US and Australia we offered 12,000 Buddhist books. We offer all books, study and practice materials, correspondence courses, magazine subscriptions to Mandala, the magazine of the FPMT, and Liberation Newsletter free of charge.

We teach in prisons across the US and Australia; in a handful of prisons outside Madrid; in six prisons in three Mexican states; and in prisons outside Mongolia’s capital Ulaanbaatar.

Our other programs include: supporting prison chaplains and libraries; receiving phone calls; arranging for students to take the Buddhist vows; collaborating with other Buddhist prison projects; and publishing our Tibetan calendar, which we’ve produced annually since 1999. We give away 1,500 calendars every year to prisoners studying with us.

Since the beginning, in 1996, our focus has remained on helpingpeople who are in prison (the majority of the prisoners who write us will never get out) but we also offer legal and post-prison support.

“Our aim isn’t to make people Buddhists; it’s to help them develop their human potential,” says LPP's Executive Director Ven. Robina Courtin. “ “As Lama Yeshe would say, human beings do have power. We have the power to change our lifestyles, change our attitudes, change our habits.”

Comment by Sam Howard on December 13, 2008 at 12:07am

Thanx Amparo,
lottsalovesam

Comment by Sam Howard on December 11, 2008 at 4:58am

Hi all good folks,
I am not posting much right now, I have sent an Email to Ven Robina Courtin and just awaiting her blessings for this group.
please feel free to ask me any questions.
lottsaloveSam

Comment by Sam Howard on December 10, 2008 at 7:35am

hi mike

Comment by Sam Howard on December 10, 2008 at 3:37am

Welcome Namkha
LLSam

Comment by Sam Howard on December 10, 2008 at 3:13am

Hi and welcome all good folks, I hope you find this group beneficial and may you visit the LPP site and become inspired, to either become a volunteer mentor or if not maybe follow the 'what you can do' links.
Ven Robina is very inspiring (to me), if you ever get a chance to sit with/ listen to her, change your dance list and make room for a dance with the divine.
LottsaloveSam